Paris Olympics 2024: Test your knowledge about the games by indulging in this thrilling quiz

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Citius: Swifter/Faster

1 This iconic image from the 1936 Berlin Olympics shows Jesse Owens on the podium after winning gold in long jump. Name the silver-medal-winning athlete beside him raising a salute to Hitler.

Ans: Carl Ludwig ‘Luz' Long, Germany. They became lifelong friends despite their countries being enemies at war.

2 Cyling's golden couple, these champs in track cycling are the most decorated individual cyclists, bagging 12 Olympic gold medals between them. Name them.

Ans: Jason Kenny and Laura Trott-Kenny, Great Britain. They began their reign at the 2012 London Olympics, got married after 2016 Rio Olympics, and carried on the golden run till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

3 Henry Robert Pearce, Australian sculling champion faced an unplanned obstacle during his quarterfinal race against Victor Saurin of France at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Despite his heart-warming gesture mid-race, he won it. What did he do?

Ans: A single file of ducks passed in front of Pearce's boat during that race; he halted to give them way, losing valuable seconds. That act of compassion earned him praise. He went on to win gold in that category.

4 At the 1924 Paris Olympics, ace sprinter Harold Abrahams became the first British athlete to win the men's 100m dash in 10.6 secs. His success is documented in which Academy- Award-winning Hollywood film?

Ans: Chariots of Fire. The film won multiple awards at the 1982 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score

Altius: Higher

1 At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a 13-year-old Chinese diver made the biggest splash, in the 10m platform event, where she was nearly 50 points ahead of her closest rival. Name her.

Ans: Fu Mingxia. She won golds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her victories were symbolic of China's growing dominance in swimming and diving that began in the 1990s.

2 At the 1964 Tokyo Games, USA won the basketball gold for the sixth time in a row, defeating the erstwhile Soviet Union in the final. The hero in the final was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford. Name him.

Ans: Bill Bradley. He later played pro basketball for the New York Knicks, and even became a US senator.

3 In her coach Bĕla Kărolyi's memoirs, he wrote that the 80 pounds of pigtail and power flew between bars, literally sailing through the air with a flair and extension never seen before. This tiny gymnast scored seven perfect 10s at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Who was Karolyi referring to?

Ans: Nadia Comăneci, Romania. The scoreboard was not equipped to display the digits 10 and instead showed her score as 1.0. Confused, she had to ask her coach to check with the judges who clarified that it was actually a perfect 10!

4 This American high jumper introduced a technique that is still practised six decades after he first attempted it at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Name the athlete and the jumping technique.

Ans: Dick Fosbury, USA, Fosbury Flop. It involved a backward jump where athletes rely on the natural arch of their backs to elevate themselves over the high jump bar.

Fortius: Stronger

1 Nicknamed "Pocket Hercules" because of his height (4ft 10 in), this Bulgarian-born Turkish weightlifter became the first in his discipline to bag gold in three different Olympic Games. Name this inspirational athlete.

Ans: Naim Süleymanoğlu. He won gold from 1988 Seoul that continued his golden streak at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

2 The son of a shepherd, and one-time household guard to the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, this long-distance runner created a sensation by winning the marathon barefoot at the 1960 Rome Olympiad. He also won at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first athlete to win consecutive marathon golds. Who was this African trailblazer?

Ans: Abebe Bikila. His wins paved the way for dominance by runners from the Sub Saharan countries at the global level.

3 Who was the proud Cuban boxer who turned down millions of dollars for boxing in the professional ranks from promoters in the US after winning the first of his three successive super heavyweight gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics?

Ans: Teofilo Stevenson. He also won gold at Montreal (1976) and Moscow (1980).

4 Acing one of the most gruelling endurance events for women in the Olympics - heptathlon - this American athlete bagged gold in two consecutive Olympics. She has broken numerous records and was voted the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated. Who is this iconic woman?

Ans: Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She was the first athlete to win gold in heptathlon at consecutive Olympiads, 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona. She broke countless world records in the 1980s and 90s that bear testimony to her talent across many track and field disciplines.

Crack our pictorial quiz

Face the champions

1 At the 1924 Paris Games, the world got its first glimpse of an Austrian-born champion swimmer representing the USA, who later earned fame by playing the role of Tarzan in his debut movie, Tarzan the Ape-Man. Who was this popular Olympian?

Ans: Johnny Weissmuller. He bagged gold in the 100m freestyle with a new Olympic record, and was also part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team. He also won golds at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He was the first swimmer to go under the 1-minute barrier in the 100m.

2 At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, it took another black American to repeat Jesse Owens' feats from the 1936 Berlin Olympics across track and field events. Who is this modern-day sporting legend?

Ans: Carl Lewis. He won in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay. He also won laurels at Seoul and Barcelona.

3 At the 2000 Sydney Games, this sportsperson became the first Indian female to win an individual medal at the Olympics. This weightlifter won bronze in the snatch and clean & jerk categories. Name this path-breaking sportsperson.

Ans: Karnam Malleswari. She lifted 110kg and 130kg in the snatch and clean & jerk categories, reaching a total of 240kg.

4 When lawn tennis returned to the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after a 64-year absence, the women's gold was won by an individual who completed the unique Golden Slam that year, which has never been emulated since by male or women players. Who was this champion?

Ans: Steffi Graf. She achieved the Golden Slam, by winning the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympics in the same calendar year.

Beer the consequences

Swedish athlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was first Olympian to be disqualified for drug use at 1968 Mexico City Olympics where drug testing was introduced for the first time in Olympics history. In his case, he had consumed two cans of beer to calm his nerves. He was stripped off his bronze medal.